Dargah head ‘sacked’ over beef ban support

Ajmer, April 5

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Syed Zainul Abedin, spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah, was today “sacked” by his brother for the “blasphemous” support to the ban on slaughter of “bovines” and selling beef in the country and declared a “non-Muslim”.

Syed Alaudin Alimi claimed he had the support of the family in sacking Abedin and anointing himself as the new “deewan”, spiritual chief, of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti mausoleum in Ajmer — one of the most famous Muslim shrines visited by millions of devotees from across the sub-continent every year.

The post is hereditary and belongs to heirs of the 12th-13th century Sufi priest. Deewan has no control over the management of the shrine, but gets a monthly remuneration from the management committee. “I am the new deewan. I have the support of the entire (Chishti) clan,” Alimi said, alleging Abedin was an “apostate because he had spoken in violation of the Islamic law”.

Abedin has been the deewan of the shrine since after the Supreme Court 1987 order, ruling him as the most direct and eldest descendant of the Sufi priest. He sparked a controversy on Monday by asking Muslims in India to stay away from slaughter of “bovine animals” and to stop consuming beef for communal harmony in the country.

He read his message during the 805th annual function at the shrine that was also attended by religious heads of various shrines from different parts of the country.  — IANS